The Beckford Arms
Great Brit-inn
Tisbury’s walkers’ wonderland
Forget happy hour, it’s happy days at The Beckford Arms, with open fires, local ales, cosy sofas galore and a gastropubby restaurant. There are just eight rooms, kitted out with solid, traditional materials such as stone, wood and sisal. Hand-picked wild flowers and woven wool blankets add splashes of colour. A fire tore through the building in 2010, forcing the hotel to shut down. Proving its indomitable spirit, it’s back now, and better than ever.
Facilities
Rooms
Eight rooms, two lodges and one house (The Arch).
Checkout
10.30am. Check-in from 4pm (flexible, depending on availability).
More Details
Rates include a full English or Continental breakfast and a make-your-own Bloody Mary station.
Also
Bramley Treatment Cabin at the Bath Arms will see to all your stress-busting needs with face and body therapy. Ask at reception for contact details.
Free Internet Access
Pet Friendly
On-Site Restaurant
At the Hotel
Gardens, private dining room, petanque piste, library including DVDs, and free WiFi. In rooms: flatscreen TV, coffee- and tea-making kit and the hotel’s home-made Bramley toiletries.
Our Favourite Rooms
Room 1, nestled into the corner of the building above the sitting room, is one of the larger rooms. Room 5 is a cosy suntrap, with elegant mirrored bedside tables and a small stone fireplace. The Arch is located a little further afield and is the perfect space for families with two bedrooms, a kitchen, boot room and living room with a warming wood burner. Note to big packers: the Beckford's rooms don't have wardrobes, just wall pegs and hangers.
Packing Tips
Walking attire, a classic Agatha Christie for fireside reading, bed socks and big knits for snuggling up on the sofa.
Children
Little Smiths are more than welcome, with cots (£10 a booking) provided for babies. There's a nightly £50 charge a child for stays in Room 8. The restaurant has a menu tailored to tots.
Gallery
Food & Drink
Top Table
Choose according to your mood; tables in the pub make for a sociable and relaxed setting, the sitting room is the place for a DVD-dinner, and the conservatory is bright and airy, with its pale wood panelling, gilt-framed mirrors and garden views.
Dress Code
Blend in with the locals by sporting shooting-chic: tweed, wools and russet hues, accessorised with Hunter wellies.
Hotel Restaurant
The Beckford has a menu of old favourites. Making headlines in its homemade fare is the local produce, the house burger, Brixham fish 'n' chips, and of course, the Sunday roast. Breakfast is served in the Bar and Sitting Room; however, if you're staying in the Lodges you can ask to have the fridge stocked with breakfast goodies.
Hotel Bar
Loyal locals head here for the ales and bitters, the cosy country pub atmosphere and the relaxed setting – wooden beams, parquet flooring and a roaring fire. There is a large oval table by the bay window, perfect for a group of friends, and for all you teapot enthusiasts, look out for the collection of antique silver teapots.
Last Orders
Breakfast is served in the Bar and Sitting Room from 8am to 9.30am, lunch is 12–3pm, and dinner is dished up between 6pm and 9pm.
Room Service
No room service, but you can plunder in-room nibbles from the minibar.
Planes
Bournemouth and Bristol are the nearest airports, served by the likes of Ryanair and EasyJet. By car, the hotel is an hour from Bournemouth, nearer 80 minutes from Bristol.
Trains
Trains from London Waterloo to Tisbury take around one hour and 45 minutes. Tisbury station is a five-minute drive away.
Automobiles
The hotel is a short hop off the A303, and has free parking on site. If you’re arriving by public transport, you may want to hire some wheels, to help you explore the area’s attractions at your leisure. Salisbury is the nearest city, a 30-minute drive away. Tisbury is a 10-minute walk away, if you decide to leave your car at home.
Worth Getting Out of Bed For
Head to the 14th-century Old Wardour Castle in the valley, a 10-minute drive or 35-minute walk from the hotel. The castle has graced many a movie and is the perfect spot for a picnic, if you fancy picking up provisions at the shops on your way. Another great spot to hunker down with a hamper is the Fonthill Estate, a five-minute walk away. If you have a car, Stonehenge is a 20-minute drive away, Bath is a 30-minute drive, and (for the little uns) Longleat’s Safari Park is just 20 minutes away. The hotel has a list of all the best walks nearby, and will lend intrepid guests an ordnance survey map. They can also recommend where to go for deer stalking and shooting (whether simulated or real), fly fishing, horse racing or golf. Remember to nab a copy of the Blackmore Vale magazine as soon as you arrive at the Beckford Arms – published on a Friday, it lists all the local hotspots and events.
Earn or Redeem Points with World of Hyatt
This Mr & Mrs Smith hotel participates in the World of Hyatt loyalty program. As a member, you can earn and redeem points and enjoy exclusive benefits for qualifying nights. .
